Big 12 pregame: There's no place like home for Kansas State

By John Rohde Comments 0
Published: November 6, 2009
Modified: November 7, 2009 at 12:41 am

Away from Manhattan this season, Kansas State has a 1-4 record while scoring 18.4 and allowing 34.2 points per game.

At home, Kansas State is 4-0, and averaging 38.0 points per game and allowing 11.0 points per game this season. AP PHOTO

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The Wildcats have been a different kind of cat at home, where they are 4-0, averaging 38.0 points and allowing 11.0.

KSU's next two games are in the friendly confines of Bill Snyder Family Stadium, against rival Kansas today at 11:30 a.m. and next Saturday against Missouri.

If the Wildcats finish unbeaten at home for the first time since 1999, they would clinch the North title if Nebraska loses at home tonight against Oklahoma and again next week at Kansas.

A preseason pick to finish fifth in the Big 12 North, Kansas State also controls its own destiny and would clinch the crown by winning its three remaining games, which includes a Nov. 21 season-ending contest at Nebraska.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Wildcats (5-4; 3-2) must win at least two more games to qualify for a bowl berth.

Teams are allowed to count only one victory against an FCS opponent (previously Division I-AA) toward the minimum requirement of six wins for qualification. KSU has two victories this season against FCS teams — Massachusetts and Tennessee Tech.

The Jayhawks, meanwhile, started out 5-0 and have since lost three straight.

KU coach Mark Mangino has been criticized for benching starting quarterback Todd Reesing when the Jayhawks trailed 35-21 with 7:10 remaining in last week's game at Texas Tech.

Reesing has since received encouraging advice from former teammates, his father and older brother. Reesing also called a players-only meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

His message?

"First off, we just need to relax," Reesing told the Kansas City Star. "It's just a football game. It's not the end of the world. No one is dying or anything ... I feel like the last couple of years, the times we performed best, everyone was relaxed and having fun and just playing football, the game they love.

"Get back to playing football. Sometimes, when you get too tense, you get that snowball effect. That has kind of happened the last couple of weeks. Play this game the way it should be played. You're not supposed to be hanging your head and feeling bad, not having fun. The point where this game isn't fun for you anymore, it's time to hang it up. I still love playing this game. It's still fun as heck for me."